"HIV does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake their hands and give them a hug: Heaven knows they need it."
-Princess Diana

"Ken didn't have the balls to talk about his HIV status. Discussing HIV status is always going to be difficult, especially if it’s with a new guy or a one-night stand, and you don’t know how he’s going to react. But if you try talking about HIV with him, you may find the extra honesty and trust can make your relationship, and your sex, even better."

Ottawa man's sex partners urged to come forward

All over the local news yesterday, there was pictures of a man who police have released his photo saying that anyone who's had sexual contact with him should seek medical attention and contact their help line or crime stoppers because this man is being charged with 9 counts of aggravated sexual assault. The police say that the man failed to disclose his status a life-threatening sexually transmitted disease to his partners. The police say that all the sexual encounters were consentual but the "root of the problem is that the man did not disclose his medical condition". The police say the man has contacted most of his partners via the internet and they are strongly urging anyone who's had contact to seek immediate medical attention. He is in custody now and is awaiting trial. This is the first time police have released a photo of someone who is being charged with aggravated sexual assault by failing to disclose their medical status. Last year a Hamilton area man was convicted of first-degree murder after he didn't disclose his HIV status and 7 women were infected with the infection and 2 women died from AIDS-related illnesses.

Now here's what I think........

What I don't know is the solution to situations like these where someone knowingly puts people in potential danger by not disclosing his status; however, I don't believe in the criminalization of HIV as this is a ridiculous not effective cover so that it looks like the government and police are doing something to solve the issue. Criminalization only perpetuates HIV stigma greatly and will only lead to more greater problems; people stopping getting tested for fear of persecution when knowing status, HIV "witch hunts", etc. More than 20% who have HIV don't even know they have it (so would these people be prosecuted too?!) and with the criminalization of HIV resulting in less people getting tested to avoid the danger of knowing their status, this 20% would increase meaning less people knowing their status to tell their partners. See the slippery slope yet people? Criminalization doesn't work and you can (and I urge you to) discuss and ask a public health or sexual education nurse or doctor about this and they will tell you the same thing. Public Health has the responsibility to protect the health of the greater public more so than individuals and that is why they must do something towards people who knowing spread infectious diseases (TB, HIV, Hepatitis, Chlamydia, etc). There is no solution right now, but everyone with any medical knowledge on the issue all know that criminalization is not the answer. As well, the laws around criminalization are so foggy and are VERY much up to interpretation so you can never know really who is breaking the law. I myself have worked with these laws in some of the clinical work I have done and have been to discussion groups with lawyers and doctors and everyone agreeing that the law is very unclear. Also, as someone who has some friends who are HIV positive (one of my best friends is) and has dated someone who is positive, I've worked with people who have HIV and have been a sexual health educator for 3 years where I was a part in initiating free anonymous rapid HIV testing on campus, I feel I have a strong understanding of sexual health, rights, HIV itself, and the personal side to the disease. I am against the criminalization of HIV (there's even a video post a few days ago from me at a protest on Parliament Hill), and I think that we are heading down a slip-n-slide that is going to cause HUGE HUGE problems with respect to less people getting tested, more HIV infections, more HIV stigma, more discrimination; ultimately, the thousands of hours of work that hundreds of organizations have put in are about to be flushed down the toilet. I do think that something has to happen to individuals who are knowing putting people in danger, but for me the bigger that that needs to happen is......WE NEED A SEXUAL REVOLUTION! In the 60s there was "free love", we've had the "gay sex" revolution, we need the "own your sexual self" revolution! People! This is your body, your health, your life....it's YOUR decision to have sexual encounters. Up to you what you want to do and with whom and whether you believe a on-night stand about their status (granted you even ask), but it's a choice. Every time you engage in sex you have hundreds of choices but the first few are the most important to your health - OWN THAT! These people that blame others because they didn't disclose status, I say, "Why did you let them not use a condom? That was YOUR choice." If you don't care enough about your own health to want to protect yourself from Sexually Transmitted Infections, then why the hell should anyone else?! Own your own sexual self! Take responsibility! I think THIS is what needs to happen and then we won't have to worry about the disclosure arguments and the criminalization of HIV arguments. WE NEED A SEXUAL REVOLUTION!

Me with my pizza baby after eating too much while in Cuba

Aussiebum Underwear Ad

Me and Kaitylne

Aqua - Back To The 80's

Shit! Where's My Shit?!

The other day I was on the phone with Lacey and we were talking about how it had been a few days since I'd shit; this is a VERY rare thing with me! Emilie always calls me a very efficient shitter cause I've got control over my shitty bowels like it's nobody's business....but not for 3 days. For some reason it just wasn't coming! And I had no clue why. All I had been eating lately is very healthy foods; mainly lots of veggies. As most people know, ever since my parasite that I got while in Panama in grade 11, my issue hasn't really been not shitting, but rather how to turn the faucet off whenever my stomach issues are acting up again. I think it had been close to 10 years since I can remember NOT shitting! It was stressing me out! So, the other day, I was determined to shit! All I ate was LOTS of fibre, spinach, fat-free popcorn, flax seeds, you name it! And I was eating it on my exercise ball to keep everything moving, and I was also eating standing up - "come on gravity I need your help!" I was drinking tons of water and huge glasses of tea to get the caffeine moving things. (Grossed out yet? lol. DEAL WITH IT! It's life, it happens. Shit happens! In this case, it wasn't though.) I started Operation Shit in the early afternoon, and after having to get off the phone with Lacey multiple times due to many false alarms, at around 11:12pm I SHAT! Hahaha. That's right, it took my whole evening up and I'm pretty much an old man, who's day plans are to shit....but I SHAT! I was so happy! i texted Emilie and Lacey to let them know (I'm sure they were very worried! lol). Now I'm back to my "regular" self! I wish you all a successfully shitty Friday!

I got a feeling on Oprah Flashmob

I've always wanted to be a part of a flash mob! Anyone know of one happening soon? Let me know! I LOVE this one....

Ryan Berry

Together in Another Life

As some people know, Emilie and I have a somewhat unhealthy relationship. We are pretty much attaches at the hip, the brain, the mouth, the heart, and every other part (that's right...EVERY other part ;) haha) and yet I still can't get enough of that girl! We were discussing some random shit today after my EARLY morning statistics class after being hungover and only getting 3 hours of sleep and after thinking and saying multiple things at the same time we were talking about how we think we HAD to have known each other in a past life. Emilie said "You think sometimes that maybe we knew each other in a past life? Like we were.....fetuses together or something?!" Hahahahahahaha. Fetuses?! Really?! Kinda gross, but uber funny! I was like, "Ya I definitely do, but I think we were more like.....two rocks side by side." She said "Rocks?! I thought something more alive!" Me: " But rocks have an energy, everything has an energy. I feel rocks cause we were something that were together A LONG TIME and I think we were just jiving off each others frequencies for so long!" Hahahaha. We concluded that we were probably cute like sea turtles who knew each other from birth during our life and death struggle to reach the water....and some seagull probably picked me up and Emilie wanted to save me so latched on to me and was hanging there and we were struggling to survive, then eventually made it to the ocean and never left each others sides in the ocean for 100+ years. That is our reasoning why we are so close with our kinda freaky relationship and why we are both sooooo cute!

Recap of Cinco de Mayo party

Last night I had my Cinco de Mayo party and it was pretty fun! I wanted a low key fun time with a few friends drinking the night away and that's what it was. I was making margaritas for people, I made guacamole for my first time (and it was really good!) and later in the night I made another mexican dip and I switched from making margaritas to making green apple martinis (Lacey and I haven't touched the shit since a couple years ago when It raped our lives the day after). To finish off the night, I had a bottle of wine and we ordered pizza. We all chilled in my living room talking, telling stories (Bekkah even brought out my old year books :S). Great times with great friends, and I don't think my neighbours hate me! You all should come next year when I'm Mexican for another day!

Sportscasting LA KINGS

Jim Fox, Emilie and I sportscasting the LA Kings game against Nashville while we were in California.